Walking the Muck
by El-Jorro
Summary: Verea the Lone Wanderer becomes trapped in the mysterious Point Lookout. What secrets will she discover buried in the mud? Read and Review
1. Prologue

Hello faithful Readers!

This is a playthrough fic of Point Lookout. Personally one of my favorite DLC's

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A small booted foot impacted the cracked pavement.

A much larger booted green foot followed closely behind.

Verea thought it was just a routine walk to the Anchorage Memorial in order to get some mirelurk meat for Jenny. Easy as Mississippi Quantum Pie right? Easy caps. She only needed her shotgun. She didn't need Fawkes, right? Well as her luck would have it. A large group of Super Mutants had taken refuge nearby, which of course was the cause of her current predicament.

BZZZOW! Went a laser bolt, deflecting of her Talon armor.

"Thank god I brought that along"

She let off another shotgun shell behind her, but the Super Mutant Overlord continued unhindered and fired its Tri-Beam laser rifle once again.

"HAHAHA! YOU'RE MINE PRETTY GIRL!"

"YOU MAKE GOOD FOOD!" screamed a smaller Brute tailing the Overlord.

This was Verea's problem: Four super mutants and an Overlord. All of them armed with powerful weapons. They were chasing her and she was running out of ammo.

"DAMNIT" she screeched as missile streaked by, narrowly missing her. It exploded nearby and pelted her side with shrapnel. Her thighs were one fire, due to her running almost contunously for an hour and a half.

She let off two more shells. Two left. The mutants were shouting with glee. They had captured a great prize. Verea let off one more shell. One more mutant went down.

"Perfect shot"

Her happiness was cut short as she reached the end of the road, literally. The broken bridge had ended, leaving one the grey waters of the Potomac.

"TIME TO DIE" the overlord screamed.

Everything seemed to slow down.

The Super Mutants thunderous footsteps growing closer.

There was a derelict vehicle sitting on the road. Reactor still intact.

The overlord would be upon it.

She was always told that before she died her life would flash before her eyes. They were wrong. All she experienced was an acute sensory awareness. She was very aware of how her heart beat. The wind and water around her. The coolness of the wood and metal of the shotgun. The recoil from the shot. The smell of the burning car and then she was flying. She could vaguely recall the car explosion and the mutants crying in agony as their flesh burned. But mostly she remembered flying. She could she see the top of buildings and for a moment she felt as though she could spread her arms and fly to the top of the world.

But then she was falling…falling…falling. The waters of the Potomac were cool and then Verea fell into darkness.

Cliffhanger!

Review Please. Constructive Criticism appreciated.


	2. To Another Shore

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Know its been a while folks, but I WILL finish this one and all of the others. Be sure to read the other ones.

"_Italics mean thoughts"_

Fallout 3 and Point Lookout is property of Bethesda

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A Change of Scenery

"splish…splash"

Something that sounded like small waves hitting the shore filled Verea's ears.

She remembered…flying.

She remembered…falling.

She remembered…the river.

Verea forced open her eyes but did not immediately sit up. Her months of combat in the wasteland showed that immediately sitting up could make a person a target.

She was lying on her back, on the shores of the Potomac. It was cool, amazingly because she had ended up underneath a dock! She checked her Pip-boy, which showed she was mostly unharmed. No broken bones. Verea slowly sat up. She must have floated under the dock at high tide after falling in the river. In front of her was the lower half of a boat. But before she could ponder the subject further, the sound of footsteps echoed on the wood above her. She immediately lay back on her stomach and reached for her shotgun only to realize it was missing. Her mind reeled for a second before it hit.

"Duh, its at the bottom of the river"

The only other weapon she had on her was her trench knife that thankfully was still sheathed to her hip.

The footsteps above her began to speak.

"For the final time ma'am. You don't have the money, you don't get the passage. Now if you please, I must get ready to shove off.

"Damn you!" said the female voice though not without much force. A stamp that echoed through the dock that shook dust on Verea's face soon followed. Both pairs of footsteps had moved to opposite ends of the dock.

Now was the time. Verea darted from underneath the dock and ran up the length of the dock. Unfortunately fate had other ideas. Her boots were still waterlogged and had difficulty getting a grip on the sandy, stony shore. As she was running she slipped on a round stone and with a very feminine squeal and a thud, she landed next to the source of the female voice.

The woman with brown, messy hair, wearing a Brahmin skin outfit, lifted her head from her hands and raised her eyebrows at the young black haired woman who just landed in a heap in front of her.

"Where on earth did you come from?"

Since Verea didn't crack her head open on the ruined sidewalk like she had hoped, she decided to answer.

"Oh, I'm just a nameless wanderer praying for a super-mutant to step on her head."

The woman, who had been crying, actually giggled. It was just so out of the blue that she couldn't help herself.

Verea pulled herself from the shore and stared nonplussed at the older woman. Not sure how to react.

"Ummm, What's so funny?"

"Oh I don't know. I have had so little to laugh about lately; I guess I needed something unexpected. Pulling herself into a sitting position Verea regarded the older woman.

"Does it have anything to do with that argument you were having on the dock?"

Immediately the woman's face fell and her head fell forward.

"Its my daughter…she's run away. Oh lord! I need help! My towed away on that boat" she pointed to the boat on the end of the dock. "The Duchess Gambit to Point Lookout several weeks ago and I have been worried sick. The day she left was the last time I heard off her. Her name is Nadine. She had all this talk of going out to see the world and find her fortune, silly, little, thing that she is.

"There is a lot to see in the world and some fortune, just a lot of it is dangerous," said Verea sagely.

"That's what I kept telling her. I should've known better though. Moment I told her she couldn't go, it was only a matter of time before she left."

"What's "Point Lookout"?

"Its where Tobar, the captain of the Duchess Gambit and the man I was talking to. Gets all that Punga Fruit of his. He sells them at a steady profit I believe. I've heard rumors that say its full of swamps and man-eating plants, but I honestly don't know."

"_Swamp: an area of low-lying uncultivated ground where water collects"_ Verea remembered from her lessons.

"Tobar said she dropped off Nadine off in Point Lookout. Oh God who knows what's happened to her now!" The woman started crying again.

Verea moved in a little closer. "Hey now…tears aren't going to bring your daughter back you hear? My name is Verea."

The woman wiped away her tears and looked at the girl, "My name is Catherine"

Verea's heart skipped a beat. This was a mother who had the same name as her own.

"Its very nice to meet you Catherine"

"Its nice to meet you too" said Catherine a few small tears still trailing down her cheeks. The wind changed directions.

"I'll help you"

Catherine's eyes widened.

"W-What?"

"I'll help you. I'll go to Point Lookout and look for your daughter"

"Y-You Will?"

"Yes" Verea surprised herself by not even having a glimmer of hesitation in her mind

Catherine leaped up from the rock and flung her arms around Verea's neck.

"Oh Bless You! Bless You! Bless You!" Once again sobbing, with Verea awkwardly holding her.

"Hey now, hey now, what did I say about tears? Come on; let's get down to business. First off: I will help you, but I have to know: how come you can't go yourself?"

Catherine hurriedly wiped away her tears. Verea was right, they needed to plan."

"You see, I don't have a lot of caps. And a ticket on the Duchess Gambit costs 300 caps and another 300 to get back. I mean I kind of understand his reasoning for charging that much especially for a long trip"

"So do I, fuel and maintenance for the boat, not to mention food and personal expenses"

"But still", continued Catherine, "600 caps is almost everything I have, and that's not including what I have in my pouch. 600 will clean me out. I'll barely have enough to live on. I'm poor enough as it is"

"_The outfit's indicative of that"_ Indeed, only the most impoverished of Wastelander's wore the crude Brahmin Skin outfit that Catherine wore.

"Okay, how many caps to you have right now?"

"310, as I said before, I could by a ticket, but only have enough for two meals."

"Anything to trade?"

"I'm afraid I haven't go much more than what I've got on and some survival essentials"

"What about a weapon for hunting?"

"I survive by hiding not fighting"

"Smart woman"

Verea closed her eyes to think for a moment

"All right here's the plan" Catherine looked at Verea.

You give me 200 caps, I cover the rest, and I have a tidy sum of caps on me. Don't worry" Verea held up her hand when Catherine opened her mouth, "I can handle it. Besides I'm quite skilled at hunting and scavenging. I can make more money if I have to.

"I hope you're right"

"Now tell me: can you describe your daughter so I kind find her?"

"Oh that's easy. She's about your age, and when she left her hair was died bright orange. You shouldn't have any problem recognizing her."

"I agree. Okay now…the caps?"

Catherine reached into her purse and gave her the agreed upon amount of caps. "Oh! One more thing, if…when you find Nadine could you give her this?" Handing Verea a folded piece of paper. "It's a note for her"

Verea took the note and stuffed it into the holotape slot on her Pip-Boy.

"I'll treat it like a gemstone, which reminds me…I have something for you too." Verea reached into her pocket and withdrew her key ring. She fumbled with it for a second before unhooking a key and handing it to Catherine.

"What's this?"

"Well you can't just sit here on the dock waiting for us to get back. The mirelurks will get you. I recently came into the possession of an apartment in Rivet City, Deck 21, Cabin 17. You can crash there until I get back and you probably would be able to see the boat steam in from the flight deck.

"Rivet City! I can't believe it! I thought I would just have to sleep in an old ruin! O Bless You Verea"

"Please don't cry again. All right I'd better get going. I won't promise anything but I'll search for your daughter."

"Thank you again Verea. I'll be waiting. Please find my daughter!"

With one more hug from Catherine, Verea walked down the dock.

($%)

The Duchess Gambit was something Verea had never seen before. She had seen plenty of boats throughout the wastes but mostly old speedboats and tugboats and none still worked anymore. The Duchess gambit however was one of the few working vehicles Verea had ever seen. It looked like an old sightseeing boat or water taxi.

The captain seemed to have finished his work and was now taking a break until it was time to shove off again. He looked up as Verea approached from the dock.

With a big, beaming smile under his mustache, he greeted the girl.

"Welcome my friend. I am Tobar the Ferryman and this fine vessel is the Duchess Gambit! We just got back from Point Lookout, but it won't be long until we set off again. Interested?"

Verea had a feeling that Tobar was aware of her and Catherine's conversation but chose to play along. "I might be what is so special about Point Lookout?"

Tobar smiled even more. You look like a woman who's been around the wastes. Heh heh…you're outfit is indicative of that."

Curious, Verea looked down and nearly blanched. Her Talon armor was in tatters. Several plates were missing, and it was torn up everywhere. She inwardly groaned. She couldn't believe that she had been talking to that woman looking like someone who had gone through a war.

"That and the fact of how you ended up under the dock. Well…you seem like a traveled person." Said Tobar with a smirk

Verea sincerely hoped her charisma training kept her from blushing. To avoid further discussion about her clothing, she decided to change the subject.

"Ah…so! What's this about Point Lookout?"

"Ah…yes. Down south, this side of the bay, there is a soggy strand of beach called Point Lookout." A faraway look entered Tobar's eye as if he were recalling a fond memory. "Oh it's got it all. Ruins of ancient pleasure towns, mysterious swamps bristling with treasure, freshly grown food, and all untouched by outsiders. But keep your wits about you, because you'll find more than a few exotic critters, and inhospitable locals!

"How is that any different from here?" said Verea, gesturing to the Capitol Wasteland.

"Touché, my friend, but still if you're looking for fame and fortune, trying to cultivate the delicious Punga fruit, or just trying to escape your life on these dreary shores, Point Lookout is your answer!

"All right you can stop pitching. I'd like to by a ticket."

"Excellent my friend! That'll be 300 caps"

Verea produced the amount of caps and Tobar handed her the riverboat ticket. The ticket was actually just an old metro ticket with "FERRY" written on it in a red marker. Didn't quite seem to be worth 300 caps.

"All right just settle down on the cot and we'll set off!"

As Tobar left Verea, she quickly darted into the cabin to change out if her ruined Talon armor and changed into her dirty duster. She then ran back out to the starboard side to give a thumbs up to Catherine. Catherine simply gazed at her and put her hand on her heart. Verea understood.

Tobar told her to wait on the cot as he shoved off but there was no way she was going to miss this.

She ran to the stern of the boat and waved to Catherine a final time as the Duchess Gambit moved away from the dock.

Like a wide eyed child, Verea watched her homeland slide past her eyes. A gasp escaped her lips as she passed under the shadow of Rivet City, like a sentinel guarding the river. She waved to children gathered on the edge of the landing deck, even though it was doubtful they could see her. Rushing to the bow of the boat, Verea watched the activated purifier and the crystal clear water that rushed from it.

"Having fun?" said Tobar from the wheel house.

"You bet!" said Verea

The river was getting wider. Tobar leaned over and switched on an eight track player.

_Somewhere beyond the sea_

_somewhere waiting for me_

_my lover stands on golden sands_

_and watches the ships that go sailin'_

_Somewhere beyond the sea_

_she's there watching for me_

_If I could fly like birds on high_

_then straight to her arms_

_I'd go sailin'_

The Duchess Gambit steamed on to Point Lookout…and Verea the Lone Wanderer to a new adventure.

(*&)

The young, nine year old Teela Brown scampered along the shore. Her parents told her to stay away from the shore but the little girl's curiosity was too much for their warnings. Besides Teela didn't want to sit around watching her family haul furniture out of the ruins for which they made their living.

The rocky shore beckoned Teela. She crawled like a lizard over the ruined shoreline. She spotted something shiny glittering between two pieces of sidewalk. She smiled; maybe it was a wedding ring or an old coin, something shiny that would by her family a few more meals. The item was shiny but it was a shell casing from a hunting rifle. Teela sighed in disappointment as she flung it away. She was just about to turn back when her father's old lesson: Waste Nothing. Saving shells was standard practice in the wasteland as the metal could be reclaimed. Sighing once again she turned back to the small beach to retrieve the shell.

As she reached down to pick it up from the sand, Teela noticed something else. It looked like a handle of some kind. Prying it from the sand, Teela uncovered a Combat Shotgun!

With a wide smile on her face, Teela sat down on the beach and examined her prize. An intact combat shotgun would buy her family several meals.

She felt a small tickle around her ear.

Or maybe it could buy all of them a new set of clothes. Her Mom always fussed about the state of her and her brother's clothes.

Some more tickling erupted around her ears and neck. She quickly brushed them away.

Or maybe her Dad could use it himself to replace that old hunting rifle he used. Either way her parents would be proud of her.

What was that tickling! Teela turned around to find the little pest causing her irritation. Only it wasn't a little pest. It was a Mirelurk Hunter. Its vestigial limbs feeling around her head caused the tickling.

Time seem to stand still for a moment.

With a peculiar gurgling sound the Mirelurk began to advance, its damp footsteps getting closer.

Teela starting to back as drops the algae encrusted shell showered. She peered into the 'lurk's beady eyes, and saw the hunger inside them.

The claws began to descend. She should have listened to her Dad. Panicked squeals began to pass from her lips as she slowly crabwalked away from the beast. The claws got closer…

"Get away, GET AWAY!" Teela waved the shotgun in front of her to protect her. The mirelurk hunter got closer…

"AAAAHHH" Teela clenched her her hands

"BLAM!"

The mirelurk hunter fell to its knees and keeled over.

Teela sat in shock with the smoking combat shotgun in her hands.

"Teela!" screamed Teela's father as her family bounded over to the scene.

Teela stood and smiled at her family who were standing in shock.

"Guess what guys? I found a shotgun and caught dinner!"

(^|#)

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If you have any trouble recognizing the names, weapons, and terms from the game, simply consult the Vault wiki at:

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